Chapter 17: Encounters and Farewells in the Long Wind.
The dim light blurred their shadows together. Her face was buried in his chest, and time seemed to slow down at that moment. Only the overlapping heartbeats in their chests beat against the silent air.
For the past twenty-eight years, she had never relied on anyone, not even her own family. This was the first time someone had told her that from now on she had someone to rely on and would no longer be alone.
She was touched, but her 28 years of experience had made her used to going it alone. Now that she had someone to rely on, she would trust them, but she wouldn't depend on them.
So she leaned against his chest and sincerely said, "Thank you."
--
After returning home, Jiang Mingxue bottled the peony roses that Rong Chengzhou had given her. A WeChat message notification popped up; it was a new message she had received in the pinned family group chat.
Their family group chat consists of six people: Grandpa Jiang, Father Jiang, Mother Jiang, her younger brother Jiang Huaijing, and her sister-in-law Shi Yunshu.
None of the younger generation are the type to share, so the messages in the group are usually posted by Jiang's mother, Su Yun. The usual practice is to first send out a large red envelope to get them all out.
Jiang Mingxue clicked and managed to snag 199. She checked the messages late and was the last to try. The second person to try was Yun Shu, who got 200.
Her younger brother was the first to grab it, and he got 2.50.
I sent a question mark to the group:
[Huaijing]: ?
Jiang's mother sent him a "haha" emoji to tease him, and then got to the point.
[Mom]: Today is Qixi Festival, how did you all spend it?
Jiang Huaijing posted a photo of himself and Yun Shu, sitting at a candlelit table with the shimmering blue coastline behind them.
【Huaijing】: Vacationing by the sea.
Yun Shu was more low-key than him, only posting a picture of the sea that she took herself.
The calm sea surface shimmered with tiny sparkles, spreading out a gradient of blue from the light green near the shore to the indigo in the distance. Several yachts floated on the sea, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.
Jiang Mingxue gave a thumbs up and praised: "Yun Shu took a really good photo."
Jiang's mother and father also gave it a thumbs up.
Grandpa Jiang can't see the phone clearly and can't send messages, but he can see pictures.
Immediately afterwards, Jiang's mother tagged her:
[Mom]: Mingxue, how did you spend your day?
[Jiang Mingxue]: The clinic doesn't close for holidays; I'm out making house calls today.
Upon hearing this, the three elders knew that she had spent Qixi Festival with the patients again.
The old man, wearing his reading glasses, looked at his phone messages and sighed deeply to the maid beside him: "Who did Mingxue take after? It was one thing that we couldn't see each other before, but now that she's in the same place as Chengzhou, she doesn't even celebrate Qixi Festival."
The two grandchildren of the Jiang family are like two extremes: one is obsessed with love, and the other is obsessed with absolute love.
Her reply was entirely predictable; both Jiang's mother and father simultaneously sent the same old, familiar message:
"Take care and get some rest, Mingxue. Don't overwork yourself."
Jiang Mingxue had just finished washing the vase when she looked at the message on the screen. After thinking for a moment, she took a picture of the flowers with her phone and sent it to the group chat.
[Jiang Mingxue]: It was a gift from Chengzhou.
The internet connection in Mengshan County is bad; the message was sent out and then circled around for a while before I received any new messages.
Thinking the message hadn't been sent, she turned the gateway off and on again.
The next second, the group chat was flooded with messages.
[Mom]: Oh dear, Chengzhou came looking for you?
[Dad]: My son-in-law has excellent taste; these flowers are really beautiful.[/thumbs up.jpg]
[Huaijing]: Withdrawn. Your sister-in-law said the flowers I sent were too ugly.
[Yun Shu]: I didn't say that.
[Yun Shu]: Happy Qixi Festival to my sister and brother-in-law![/celebration.jpg]
These few messages weren't enough to go viral. What really went viral was Grandpa Jiang, who, in a moment of excitement, accidentally pressed the wrong button and posted over twenty peach cat emojis with a five-star red flag avatar, interspersed among the other messages, as if deliberately causing trouble.
"Huh? Why did I order these things? How do I send a message?" Old Master Jiang hurriedly asked the butler for help.
The housekeeper tapped the phone twice to switch it back for him, then pointed to the speaker icon and taught him, "You can send a voice message by long-pressing here."
"Oh, oh, oh."
After fumbling around for a while, Grandpa Jiang finally sent his first voice message. Even through the phone, you could tell he was in a great mood: "Not bad, not bad. Cheng Zhou really cares about you. He even took the time to send you flowers despite the intense training in the army."
Jiang's mother and father echoed each other, and Su Yun then asked:
[Mom]: By the way, Mingxue, when are you going to add Chengzhou to the group chat? We've been married for a year now, and he's the only one missing from our family.
The Jiang family only has one family group chat. Once a daughter-in-law and son-in-law get married and become a real family, they will be added to the group chat.
When Su Yun first learned that Jiang Mingxue had gotten her marriage certificate, she immediately urged her to bring Rong Chengzhou into the picture, but Jiang Mingxue didn't. Later, seeing that Rong Chengzhou only replied to her messages more than a month later, she had even less of an idea.
Bringing in someone who's been lurking in the background for years, someone you don't know well, will only create awkwardness.
Now that the matter has been brought up again, Jiang Mingxue hesitated for a moment.
Now that their relationship has improved, it seems inappropriate not to pull him along.
But given his personality, what would he say if he joined the group?
Jiang Mingxue's mind immediately conjured up a string of images:
【CZ】: Hello everyone, I am Rong Chengzhou from the Northern Theater Command Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. From now on, we are all one family. Please take care of me.
[Mom/Dad/Grandpa]: Welcome Chengzhou to our loving family!
【CZ】：Thank you all.[/fist bump.jpg]
...
With this in mind, Jiang Mingxue made a decisive decision.
[Jiang Mingxue]: Mom, he's quite busy in the military. I'll bring him in when he has time.
As for when he has time, that's very random, since Rong Chengzhou is the kind of person who can't go home even once a year.
Su Yun only felt it was a pity, but did not suspect anything, and simply replied:
[Mom]: Okay then.
After ending the chat, Jiang Mingxue put down her phone, unpacked the bouquet, put it into a glass vase filled with water, and placed it in front of the window.
The delicate fragrance of peonies mixed with the aroma of pink roses filled the cabin, a truly delightful experience.
I slept exceptionally well tonight.
The next day, after finishing her patients in the morning, she took Bai Dong to Instructor Lu's house after lunch to give him acupuncture and brought the old man some soft fruits and snacks.
"It's already troublesome enough that you came all this way to give me acupuncture, why did you bring things over as well?"
Jiang Mingxue put the things down and said with a smile, "I just bought them on the way. I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just took whatever I could find."
Instructor Lu criticized her for wasting money, but Jiang Mingxue listened quietly without arguing back.
She asked about today's situation, and it was much better than yesterday.
During the acupuncture treatment, Instructor Lu was even more enthusiastic than yesterday, asking about her family situation and telling her about Rong Chengzhou University.
"This kid had already planned out his career path for the next ten years when he first entered university. He was the most opinionated student I've ever taught. It's just a pity that he's too stubborn. Once he sets his mind on something, he won't give up until he does it to the best of his ability."
“His father and grandfather have told me more than once to talk to him and give him some advice. I would like to, but he won’t listen to me. If it weren’t for the extra bonus I get every month because of him, I would have quit my job long ago.”
Jiang Mingxue listened attentively, occasionally chiming in with a few words.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked, "By the way, Xiao Jiang, how did you two meet? I've known him for so many years, and I've never seen a girl with him."
Jiang Mingxue's acupuncture movements faltered slightly, hovering above Coach Lu's knees for a long time before falling.
She hadn't yet exchanged the code with Rong Chengzhou about this.
The truth was definitely not going to work, so she thought for a moment and said, "He came to me to get medicine, and I was the one who pursued him first."
That's pretty much true; it was indeed she who took the initiative to propose marriage.
Instructor Lu was initially surprised, but then felt it made sense.
Given Chengzhou's taciturn personality, how could he possibly pursue someone else first?
It was unexpected that Jiang Mingxue, who seemed to have a lukewarm personality, would take the initiative to pursue Cheng Zhou.
Instructor Lu sincerely praised, "This young lady has courage."
As they were talking, the acupuncture had already finished. Instructor Lu checked the time and said, "Chengzhou probably won't be coming today. He's as busy as ever, and I never see him. He comes to my place quite often, but I've only seen him once this month, yesterday."
Bai Dong glanced up and subconsciously thought: "Brother-in-law has met with Sister Ming at least five times in the past month."
Upon receiving Jiang Mingxue's signal, he immediately stopped talking.
It was common knowledge that Rong Chengzhou was busy, and Jiang Mingxue had no intention of waiting for him. She left after giving Instructor Lu acupuncture.
They each have their own responsibilities: he protects the country, she saves lives. Neither of them has time to indulge in petty romances, especially since there is no love to speak of now.
On the way, I sent Rong Chengzhou a message to tell him that I had finished acupuncture for Instructor Lu. But he was probably training or on a mission, and didn't reply by evening.
I haven't even received their daily reports of safety.
In the following days, she regularly gave Instructor Lu acupuncture treatments, persisting until her last day before leaving. However, Rong Chengzhou seemed to have disappeared, and all contact with him ceased.
In the past few days, she has transferred two doctors with cultivation experience from other branches, handed over the growth record book to them, and assisted Lao Lin in his follow-up work and the cultivation of Dendrobium officinale.
On the day she left, she got up early in the morning and watered the vegetables and herbs she had been growing for a month one last time.
Old Lin got up even earlier than her, at four o'clock to go to the market to buy meat, and then made braised pork again early in the morning.
Old Lin said with a guilty look, "I haven't saved much money in Haining over the years. You haven't had many good meals while you've been with me. I'm sorry for the hardship you've endured. You've all gotten thinner while I'm here."
"It's okay, we're planning to lose weight anyway." Xu Yan picked up a piece of braised pork and took a bite. The meat was a bit tough and the taste was just average, but it was more delicious than any dish she had ever eaten in Beicheng and the Air Force Base.
Her mouth was full and her nose was sore, but she still tried to sound cheerful as she said, "Old Lin, we still want to eat your cold mountain vegetable salad. We've been craving it for a while now."
Ever since they complained that the wild vegetables weren't tasty, Old Lin hasn't cooked them again. Although he doesn't say it, he treats them like his own children.
Old Lin, his back hunched, quickly stood up and replied, "Okay, okay! You wait here, I'll get right away!"
After he turned around, the group of people simultaneously raised their hands to wipe away their tears, and even Yan Ze pretended to be indifferent and turned his head away.
Jiang Mingxue felt a lump in her throat, but she still smiled and comforted them, "It's okay, we'll come back for the next round of medical visits."
Xu Yan and Bai Dong nodded while crying.
But they knew perfectly well that they didn't know when they would be able to come back again, not to mention whether they would all be able to get together again. Maybe Old Lin would have already retired by then.
The small kitchen was quiet for the first time. They buried themselves in their food and finished the last plate of wild vegetables. Under Lao Lin's reluctant gaze, they shouldered their bags and left.
They got up very early today because they wanted to leave quietly before the museum opened.
To my surprise, the clinic was already packed with people when I opened the door.
They brought their own homegrown fruits and vegetables, not to queue for medical treatment, but to give them away.
Jiang Mingxue stood at the door in astonishment, looking around at the familiar faces—all her former patients. They had gathered together, seemingly having somehow gotten wind of the situation.
A dense crowd of over a hundred people, men, women, and children, filled the narrow street. Before she knew it, she had received all the residents of this village.
Grandma, who had only charged six yuan and fifty cents for medical expenses in the past, stood at the front. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes looked like lines ironed by the years. Her hands trembled slightly as she handed over the handmade Li brocade ornaments and hat she had woven herself: "Dr. Jiang, thank you for paying my medical expenses. I don't have anything of value at home, only some handicrafts that I can show off. I hope you won't find them too bad."
“Me too! Me too!” Another man in his thirties stepped forward. “My daughter got chickenpox in the middle of the night and had a high fever that wouldn’t go down. It was Dr. Jiang who got up late at night to cure her. My daughter and I will remember this kindness for the rest of our lives. These are coconut candies and coconut pastries that my wife made herself. You can eat them on the way!”
Another high school student who had developed a stomach ailment before the final exams held up a certificate and said to her, "Dr. Jiang, I got first place in my grade in the final exams. This is my certificate."
He was the high school student who was studying while suffering from a stomachache on the day the clinic ran out of medicine. It was the medicine that Jiang Mingxue collected that cured him in time, allowing him to take the final exam the next day.
"..."
Everyone brought what they considered their most precious possessions to see her off. Looking at these simple, honest faces, Jiang Mingxue's heart, which had just calmed down, began to ache again.
With so many lovely patients, how could she not love her profession?
She put on the Li brocade hat and said, "Thank you, Grandma. You have such skillful hands, but you should also take care of your eyes and not overwork yourself."
He took the first-place certificate, examined it carefully, and then returned it to the high school student: "You did very well on the test. Remember to balance work and rest, and eat on time."
The pre-arranged car was already waiting at the door, but she still said goodbye to everyone carefully and accepted their gifts.
This was the most arduous and difficult round of medical visits, but also the most unforgettable.
"Dr. Jiang, you can go back without worry. I'll take care of Old Lin here." The uncle next door, whose face had become even darker after drying corn for a month, smiled and assured her.
The people of Mengshan are so simple and sincere. Even if they are misunderstood, they will not hold a grudge. Jiang Mingxue smiled and said, "I believe you."
Everyone gave so many gifts that the car couldn't hold them all, so Jiang Mingxue only took a little and left the rest for Lao Lin. Before leaving, she told Lao Lin that there were tens of thousands of yuan in cash in the drawer, which was a subsidy for him.
She didn't bring much cash with her this time; she pooled together tens of thousands of yuan with everyone and then transferred it to them online.
Old Lin didn't care about her trying to get rid of him with money. He categorized and labeled the wild vegetables he had prepared, such as tree vegetables, revolutionary vegetables, and Wuzhishan wild vegetables: "I've picked them all. You can take them back and put them in the refrigerator. Whenever you want to eat them, you can just make a cold salad and eat them directly."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Come back and visit whenever you have time. I welcome Director Jiang to supervise me anytime. However, I estimate I won't be able to stay for more than two years. I don't know if I'll still be here next time you come."
Jiang Mingxue patted Lao Lin on the back and gave him a hug:
"See you again."
"Definitely."
The group boarded the car with their luggage, smiling and waving to the people from Mengshan who were watching them from outside. The car door closed, but they didn't let the driver start the car for a long time.
"Ms. Jiang, shall we depart now?" the driver asked.
"Shh—" Xu Yan pointed her index finger, "Wait a little longer."
Everyone in the car except the driver knew that Jiang Mingxue was waiting for Rong Chengzhou.
He promised to come and take her home, but he disappeared again.
Jiang Mingxue glanced in the direction of the air force base, but still did not see that familiar figure.
She slowly withdrew her gaze: "Let's go."
Xu Yan secretly glanced at her expression. Her gaze was calm and composed, showing only the emotion of being seen off by the people of Mengshan, without the sadness and disappointment of being stood up by her beloved.
Feeling a little relieved, she knew that Sister Ming wouldn't be the type to be distracted by trivial matters of love.
Jiang Mingxue was not upset by Rong Chengzhou's broken promise. She was just used to keeping her promises. He said he would take her, so she would wait for him a little longer.
He can come if he wants, or it doesn't matter if he doesn't.
The shadows of the trees outside the window moved backward as the car slowly drove away from this land that had once made them suffer from acclimatization issues and sleepless nights, yet which they were now reluctant to leave because of the kind and simple people there.
Meeting and parting are always intertwined themes; where there is meeting, there must be parting, but parting does not necessarily mean meeting again.
As the car drove further and further away, the patients behind them had become just a small dot, and their mood gradually calmed down.
Jiang Mingxue got up early and was a little sleepy, so she gently leaned back in the passenger seat and closed her eyes to rest.
The car swayed back and forth, and she gradually drifted into a light sleep.
After driving for an unknown distance, just as they were about to leave the intersection in Mengshan County, the driver suddenly stepped on the brakes.
Xu Yan, sitting in the back seat, patted her shoulder and woke her up: "Sister Ming, look at that car in front!"
Jiang Mingxue slowly opened her eyes and saw a tall, broad figure standing next to a black SUV at the fork in the road, still wearing the flight suit he hadn't had time to take off.
The sunlight was scorching and dazzling. He stood against the light, his deep-set eyes piercing through the obstacles, looking directly into her eyes through the car's windshield.
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